Wrench



W. F. HOMRIGHAUSEN.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3.19I7.

1 20,239 Patented Oct. 28, 1919. Q

WWW/mm V Y W. fu/0MP/6HAU55 v nrrnn earn r FFIG.

WRENCH.

-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed December 3, 1917. Serial No. 205,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. HOMRIG- HAUSEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Leandro, Alameda county, and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to tools of the sliding jaw type and particularly to wrenches.

An object of the invention is to provide a wrench that may be quickly adjusted to gri objects of differentv sizes and which is designed to quickly grip or release theobjects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the sliding jaw type which may be locked with the jaws in gripping engagement with the object. v

A further object of the invention is v.to pro.- vide a grip lever operated wrench in which oscillating movement of the grip lever causes either a reciprocating movement of the jaw or a. step-by-step closing movement of the aw. A further object of the invention is to provide a wrench which may be used as a jack or a vise. i

.The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which,'with the foregoing, will be set forth at length" in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part ofthe present specification. In said drawings I have shown one specific form of the wrench of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not. limit myself to such form, since the invention, as expressed in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawingsz,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench of my invention. 7 i

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the wrench.

The wrench comprises a hollow body portion 2 provided onthe upper, end with a jaw 3 which maybe of any desired shape, either plain or serrated, and which is preferably removable, and on itslower end with a grip or handle 1. The jaw 3 is termedthe stati nar w- Sfid en g h y 2 and secured thereto by the integral straps 5, is the hollow jaw member 6 provided on its upper end with the movable jaw 7. Pivoted to the body 2, below the member 6, is a grip lever 8, which is disposed adjacent the han dle 4:, so that the handle and the lever may be gripped by one hand.

Arranged in the handle 4: and operatively engaging the lever 8 is a slide 9 which is provided with an upward extension 12, lying within the jaw member 6 and in contact with the surface 13 thereof. The slide 9 is provided with a slot 1 1 inwhich a pin 15 secured to the lever 8 is disposed, so that oscillating movement of the lever is accompanied bya reciprocating movement of the slide.

The slide is normally held in its depressed position, with the grip lever standing away from the handle, by a spring 16 secured to the slide and tothe. lower end of the handle.

Means are. provided for transferring the movementof the slide 9 to the jaw member 6. Pivoted to the jaw member and overlying the extension 12 of the slide is a U- shaped clamp 17. The outer surface of the slide extension 12 is provided with small transverse teeth or ridges 18, and formed on the under side of the clamp at its forward end is a tooth 21, adapted to engage the teeth 18 on the slide extension. The tooth 21 is to one side of a center line through the pivot of the clamp 17 perpendicular to the line of motion of the slide extension, so that when the slide extension is moved upwardly toward thejaw 3 by the grip lever 8, the engagement of the teeth 18 with the tooth 21 tends to cause the clamp to rotate about its pivot, locking the teeth together and binding the slide extension 12 to the jaw member 6 so that members 6 and 9 move upwardly together. On the backward or downward movement of the slide 9, the clamp tends to rock outwardly to release the slide from gripping contact with the jaw member, but the spring 22 keeps the teeth 18 and 21 in engagement with sufiicient force to cause the slide and. jaw member to move together as one. Therefore, when the grip lever 8 is oscillated about its pivot the movable jaw is reciprocated. The movable jaw may be slipped along the body independently of any movement of the grip lever, so that the initial setting of the movable jaw may be quickly accomplished. This is accomplished by rocking the clamp into its downward or backward position and a rearwardly extending tongue 19 on the clamp is provided for that purpose, downward pressure on the tongue serving to rock said clamp to move the tooth 21 out of contact with the teeth 18.

Means are provided whereby an oscillating movement of the grip lever may be converted into a step-by-stepclosing movement of the movable jaw. On its rear face, the jaw member is provided with a rack 23. Pivoted within the body is a latch 24, the upper end of which lies opposite an aperture in the body, and the position of the latch is adjustable so that its upper end may engage the rack or be held out of engagement therewith, a spring 25 in the body tending to press the upper end of the latch into engagement with the rack. With the latch in contact with the rack, a downward movement of the jaw member is prevented when the slide moves downwardly.

Means are provided for holding the latch out of engagement with the rack, when a reciprocating movement of the jaw is desired. Arranged within the body is a slide 26 held in place by a spring 27 and provided with a button 28 extending through a longitudinal slot in the body. The slide is pro vided with a cam or inclined surface 29 which contacts with an extension 31 on the latch, so that as the slide is moved vertically, the latch is rocked on its pivot. When the slide is pressed into its upward position, it holds the latch out of engagement with the rack and when depressed permits the latch to engage the rack.

Means are also provided for locking the jaws, in any desired position, for the purpose of clamping the wrench to an object or for the purpose of clamping one or more objects between the jaws, as in a vise. Formed on the slide 9 below the fulcrum of the grip lever '8 is a rack 32. Preferably somewhat concentric with the fulcrum and pivoted to the grip lever is a toothed dog 83 adapted to be swung into engagement with the rack. As the grip lever is moved toward the handle, the dog engages the successive teeth of the rack 32 preventing an outward movement of the grip lever. The dog 33 is pressed against the rack by the spring 34: arranged within the grip lever and so disposed that the dog may be swung back into inoperative position.

The jaw 3 is preferably removable and when removed, the wrench may be readily used as a jack, by setting it upright and resting the weight to be raised on the movable jaw. When being used as a jack,

the latch 24; should be in engagement with the rack 23, so that the jaw is moved upward in a step-by-step movement as the grip lever is oscillated.

I claim:

1. A tool of the class described, comprising a body having a jaw thereon, a jaw member slidable on said body, a slide contiguous with said jaw member, means for moving said slide, a clamp pivoted to said jaw member and overlying said slide, and means on said clamp arranged to engage said slide for a movement of the slide in one direction only.

2. A tool of the class described, comprising a body having a jaw thereon, a jaw member slidable on said body, a slide eontiguous with said jaw member, a plurality of serrations on said slide, a clamp pivoted to said jaw member and engaging said serrations and means for moving said slide.

3. A tool of the class described, comprising a body having a jaw thereon, a jaw member slidable on said body, a slide contiguous with said jaw member, a plurality of serrations on said slide, a clamp pivoted to said jaw member and overlying said slide, a tooth on said clamp adapted to engage said serrations and a spring arranged to press the tooth against the serrations.

4. A tool of the class described, comprising a body, a jaw member provided with a jaw and slidably mounted on said body, a slide engaging said jaw member, means for moving said slide, a rack on said aw member and a latch in said body adapted to engage said rack.

5. A tool of the class described, comprising a body, a jaw member provided with a jaw and slidably mounted on said body, a slide engaging said jaw member, means for moving said slide, a. rack on said jaw mem ber, a latch in said body adapted to engage said rack and means for holding the latch out of engagement with the rack.

6. A tool of the class described, comprising a body, a jaw member provided with a jaw and slidably mounted on said body, a slide engaging said jaw member, a clamp pivoted to said jaw member and overlying said slide arranged to clamp the side and jaw member together as the slide is moved upward, a rack on said jaw member and a latgii in said body adapted to engage said rac 7 A tool of the class described compris ing a body having a jaw thereon, a jaw member provided with a jaw and slidably mounted on said body, a slide engaging said jaw member, a rack on the lower end of said slide, an operating lever connected to said slide and a dog on said lever adapted to engage said rack.

8. A tool of the class descr be p i ing a body, a jaw member provided with a jaw and slidably mounted on said body, a slide engaging said jaw member, means for clamping said slide and member for movement of the slide in one direction, means for preventing the movement of the jaw memher in the opposite direction, a grip lever connected to said slide, a rack on the slide and a dog on the grip lever arranged to engage said rack.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland, California, this 22nd day of November, 1917.

WILLIAM F. HOMRIGHAUSEN.

In presence of- H. G. PRosT.

come of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

